It’s very easy, when you start thinking about health and longevity, to find yourself trapped in a straitjacket of rules. Avoid sugar. Don’t eat UPFs. Cook every meal from scratch. Exercise every day. Hit 10,000 steps. Get eight hours of sleep. Meditate. Journal. Take your supplements. Track your protein… the list goes on.

Somewhere along the way, ‘being healthy’ stopped feeling like self-care and started feeling much more like a full-time job. But what if we told you that this constant – and relentless – pursuit of perfection could actually be harming your health?

Caroline Hanna, nutritionist and author of Hungry (out 2 July 2026), recently revealed the seven so-called ‘unhealthy’ habits she has no intention of giving up to her 237,000 Instagram followers. From drinking wine and eating crisps to occasionally reaching for a Coke Zero, her point isn’t that healthy habits don’t matter – it’s that no single food, drink or behaviour determines your overall health.

‘Perfection is the enemy of consistency, because if you feel you have to get everything right then you may as well not try at all,’ she says.

It’s a refreshing take – especially when our algorithms seem full of people obsessed with optimisation. The more we obsess over ‘getting it right’ and doing health ‘perfectly’, the further we drift from what truly helps us live well and feel well.

‘A little flexibility means that your healthy habits feel a lot easier to stick to,’ Caroline adds.

Here, then, are the seven ‘unhealthy’ habits you might not expect a nutritionist to admit to – but that still have a place in her healthy lifestyle.

Habit #1: I drink wine

‘I don’t drink every day, and much less than I used to, but very little brings me more joy than a perfectly crisp glass of rosé,’ Caroline writes.

‘Obvs it must be a thin glass and a spindly stem. None of your stumpy pub goblets, thanks. I want at least a 60% chance of breakage, in a chic way.

‘Is it good for my body? Not really. Is it good for my soul? Absolutely, 100% yes.’

Habit #2: I eat chocolate in front of the TV

‘Chocolate isn’t off-limits to me. Food isn’t good or bad. And that mindset means I can eat it, have enough and then move on,’ she says.

(We hands-down agree that the M&S Outrageously Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Coated Custard Creams are a superior biscuit choice.)

Habit #3: I drink coffee before breakfast

Caroline says she regularly drinks coffee before breakfast, explaining that, as a mum of a young child, a morning coffee helps her tackle the day’s chaos.

‘I have a baby, and to be honest it’s a lot easier to embark on a morning of porridge hurling and nappy explosions when I’m fully caffeinated,’ she says.

‘I enjoy it, it fits my routine, and I know my body can handle it.’

Habit #4: I drink Coke Zero

‘Maybe only one every week or two, but I have absolutely no qualms about slurping down one of these bad boys. (For those who also partake, do yourself a favour and pour it into a glass with the juice of a whole lime. Sublime.)

‘I’d rather focus my energy on my overall habits than worry about the little things that bring me joy.’

Habit #5: I eat crisps

Hanna is equally unapologetic about her love of crisps, joking that she has no intention of ever giving them up.

‘Not much to say on this, I just absolutely love crisps and will never give them up,’ she says.

Habit #6: I order burgers and chips

‘I love a good burger, and it’s not something I tend to make at home, so I’ll often order it when I’m out,’ Caroline writes.

‘One meal won’t make or break your health – it’s about the overall pattern, and if that makes room for your favourite foods then it’s all the easier to stick to.’

Habit #7: I don’t always get enough sleep

Unsurprisingly, sleep doesn’t always go to plan. Caroline says motherhood has made a full night’s sleep more of a luxury than a guarantee, so she focuses on catching up where possible and supporting herself in other ways when she’s feeling exhausted.

This includes keeping a fridge full of eye patches for emergencies.

Why consistency matters more than perfection

Caroline’s philosophy is rooted in the idea that health isn’t something you achieve once and then tick off a list. Instead, she argues, it’s an ongoing relationship that requires flexibility, self-awareness and kindness towards yourself.

‘The healthiest lifestyle is not necessarily the most perfect one. It’s actually a lot easier to maintain healthy habits if you allow room for the things you actually enjoy. Diet Coke, crisps, or even an entire tray of limoncello shots…’ she says.

Allowing room for the foods, drinks and experiences you genuinely enjoy doesn’t undermine a healthy lifestyle – it can actually make healthy habits easier to sustain over the long term.

‘Health is about the big picture, not about worrying whether or not you should have your favourite meal at a restaurant.

‘Consistency over perfection is what makes a healthy lifestyle easy to maintain, and personally I find it a lot easier to be consistent when I focus on the fundamentals of health. My philosophy is that one of the most important fundamentals is enjoyment.’